Mangalore, March 31: Arguments between Corporators of BJP and Congress on the issue of Mayor's budget presentation largely dominated the Council Meet at the MCC on Saturday.
Shankar Bhat, Former Mayor and BJP Corporator questioned Mayor Gulzar Banu's right to present the budget and make changes to the proposed budget such as increasing the amount of 'Kuteera Bhagya' scheme to Rs 25,000 from the proposed Rs 15,000 without referring it to the finance standing committee. He also remarked that until the High Court passes its judgment on the case of faulty Mayoral election procedure which is scheduled for April 3, Ms. Banu should not be conducting Council proceedings as Mayor.
Congress corporator Shashidhar Hegde in defense of the Mayor said that since there was one-third majority present in the House in spite of the BJP corporators staging a walkout, the session was continued. They insisted that Shantha of BJP had been asked by the Mayor to present the budget which she did not.
Raising objections to the Mayor's passing of the budget without referring to the standing committee, Ms. Shantha herself, Premananda Shetty, Sudhir Shetty and other BJP Corporators questioned the Mayor's action and demanded an explanation from Dr. K Harish Kumar, Commissioner, MCC. On the other hand, Congress Corporator DK Ashok Kumar also sought an explanation from the Commissioner as to who according to the law book must present the budget in case the finance committee chief is not present.
Mr. Kumar quoting from the law books said that there is no specific mention of who is to bear the responsibility of presenting the budget in case the standing committee chief is not there. “In such matters we have to seek directions from the Court of Law. But the norm and the law is that the budget has to be presented by the chief of the finance standing committee and for changes to be made, it has to be referred to the standing committee”. However, the Commissioner added that the financial year had come to an end and it was mandatory for the Corporation to forward the budget to the state government for its approval.
Congress corporators took a dig at their BJP counterparts for being absent for finance standing committee chief's election meetings and delaying the proceedings. The BJP corporators on the other hand argued that all their party corporators who were in the standing committee had sought permission for absence and hence their absence could not be questioned.
Towards the latter part of the session, the focus shifted to city's water problem. Corporators of various wards expressed water woes of their respective areas. Responding to some of the queries on the lack of water supply and dip in water level at Thumbay dam raised by corporators, the Commissioner said that since it had not rained beyond November this season and that there was no rain in the catchment areas this summer along with greater evaporation, the river inflow has reduced. Water supply to industries and construction projects has been cut off and frequency of water supply to Mulky and Ullal has also been reduced, he said. River inflow is virtually zero, he added and said that supplying water to higher areas in desired pressure is a problem that the Corporation is trying to address.
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